Juroung
Juroung (ジュロング) is one of the boss characters introduced in Strider (2014). A shaman and self-proclaimed true disciple of Grandmaster Meio, Juroung is the leader of Kazakh City's UndergroundCapcom (February 2014, multi). Strider Hiryu (Japanese). Character Intel #37: Juroung, where he enforces Meio's will. Known as the "Devoted Shaman", he's a religious fanatic of the Grandmaster who worships him as a true god, following his instructions blindly and regardless of any risks, even to the extent of willingly dying for him. Through his belief in Meio, Juroung sees himself as superior to others whose belief is "weak", and fights with full confidence that Meio's will guides him to victory. Juroung takes residence in a personal chamber deep within the Underworld's Buried Temple. Living in the Underground where chaos and disorder reigns, Juroung believes that paving the way for Meio's order in such a place is his destiny or life calling. As one of his closest aides, Grandmaster Meio has much more trust in him than in his other subordinates like General Mikiel or the Four Winds.Capcom (2013). "Character: Juroung". Capcom's official Strider site (Japanese). Retrieved 6 March 2014. In combat, Juroung possess the ability to manipulate water at will thanks to the force of the small Gravitron unit that's embedded within his body. Story Strider (2014) Before Hiryu's infiltration in Kazakh City, Juroung was challenged in the Buried Temple by Strider Hoen, who he effortlessly eliminated with his water manipulation skillsCapcom (February 2014). Strider Hiryu (Japanese). Story Intel #12: Strider Hoen. Following Schlange's failure in eliminating Hiryu, a frustrated Meio went to the Underground and visited the shaman, commanding him to eliminate Hiryu where others have failed. Juroung confidently assures his lord that he'll not fail. Having been told by the Black Marketer that Juroung held the "key" he needed to proceed, the Upgrade Cradle for the Magnetic Cypher, Hiryu sought him out and finally met him in his chambers. Juroung begins by proclaiming that Meio's words "blesses them all" and asking Hiryu if he can hear his calling and why he refuses it. Initially, Juroung's control over water forces Hiryu into defensive maneuvers as Juroung notes that "escaping is not for him" and that he can't run away forever. Eventually, however, Hiryu turns the situation around and damages Juroung enough that his gravitron becomes unstable and he seemingly explodes in a burst of energy. Skills and Abilities Juroung's main special ability is his control over water. Using the gravity force of the small Gravitron embedded within his body, Juroung can manipulate bodies of water and shape them into ghostly forms he uses to attack any intruder. The constructs he creates are varied, though he seems to favor creating giant water hands to hit and crush his targets. In order to gather water for his attacks, Juroung has a special contraption in his back which sends water from the ground to his upper body/forearms. He's also capable of using the power of gravity directly to create miniature black holes to which capture/crush his targets. In battle, Juroung has three distinct phases: at first he simply stands at one end of the room, attacking Hiryu with one or two of his techniques before leaping over to the other side to continue his attack. After receiving enough damage, he starts creating a water hand to stand in and attack from high above, forcing Hiryu to jump to hit him. If Hiryu is standing near the edges when the hands emerge, he can be hit by the rising water. During the final phase, his attacks come up faster and stronger and he mixes them together. Techniques * Giant Water Hand: Juroung summons several water hands that dashes forward at Hiryu. They come out quickly, but can be avoided by jumping or standing at the opposite end of the room. * Rising Water Hand: Juroung charges up and strikes the ground, creating a water hand form that springs upwards. He often does this attack continously to strike Hiryu. When his life is low, he starts creating two hands together instead of one. * Water Stream: Juroung shoots streams of water at high pressure from the ground, which travel diagonally up across the screen, and then bounce back from above. They cover up a lot of screen space, making them hard to dodge. * Water Insects: Juroung creates a swarm of water-shape insects and sics them at Hiryu. They have some homing capabilities when released, and will seek Hiryu's position. If destroyed the insects drop health. * Gravity Well: Juroung rises atop a water hand in the background, and produces a powerful gravity pull in the center of the stage. During the move, two water hands generate at both ends of the room and eventually clash into the center. If Hiryu is pulled into the black hole, he's stunned in place and will be unable to avoid the upcoming water hands. Gallery NewStrider_juroung_artwork.png|Official art (hi-res) NewStrider juroung.png|Portrait art NewStrider Juroung art.png|Concept art StrHD_juroung_introduction.png|Juroung appears StrHD_juroung_water_pillars.png|Water Stream StrHD_juroung_water_insects.png|Water Insects StrHD_juroung_hand_eruption.png|Rising Water Hands StrHD_juroung_gravity_well.png|Gravity Well Trivia * Juroung's Intel profile mentions that he protects the Prototype Gravitron "to the death", even though in-game he's nowhere to be seen when Hiryu tracks and destroys it. Interestingly, the Intel profile for the Buried Temple in the Japanese version states that the prototype is managed by Meio's Army and it remains outside Juroung's jurisdiction. * Going from the above, it appears Juroung may have been intended to have an early boss battle in the game. A few of his boss battle dialogue also seems to imply it, with lines such as "We meet for the last time" and "This time I deal with you until the end!". References Category:Characters Category:Foes Category:Bosses